On October 3rd, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national holiday; a day set apart to give thanks for our nation’s (at that time, our Union’s) many blessings while still in the midst of a horrendous Civil War. The conflict would not end until April 18th, 1865. But even in times of great trial an honest heart could still grasp the blessings by which it was surrounded. The official Proclamation of Thanksgiving began with wholesome purpose:
(full text: http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/thanks.htm)
The first observance of Thanksgiving as a national holiday came one week after the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Fast forward via cyberspace and our nation’s Thanksgiving Day is once again upon us for the 146th time. Our blessings in modern times have grown far beyond that of good rains and plentiful harvests.
I reminisce with thoughts of crisp, fragrant air laying softly over a corn field on a late fall day. So I peer out from my office cubicle upon the half acre of similar cubicles neatly laid out before me and survey a veritable cornucopia of technology bathed in the fluorescent rays from above. There is now produce and abundance of a different sort that we can celebrate.
Yet, our times have not changed in that we still want, and need, to bestow a blessing in our business world through an expression of sincere good will and simple gratitude toward others. Corporate holiday cards and company Thanksgiving cards continue to celebrate this time-honored, uniquely American custom. They provide a means to communicate respectful, heartfelt sentiments to business associates, friends, and the corporate family around us. So I say to you:
A joyous Holiday Season and
A healthy and Happy New Year!